Software · head to head
Amazon RDS vs Breathe HR

Amazon RDS
Software
Set up, operate, and scale a relational database in the cloud
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Amazon RDS no super-user access or direct host connectivity limits advanced customization; Breathe HR pricing is banded by headcount, starting at £24 per month for 1 to 10 people, £44 per month for 11 to 20 and £99 per month for 21 to 50
- They diverge on capability: Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Breathe HR covers Employee Database.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Amazon RDS and Breathe HR actually diverge.
| Attribute | Amazon RDS | Breathe HR |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | £13/month |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Platforms | AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2006 | 2012 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Amazon RDS
- Multiple DB Engines
- Automated Backups
- Multi-AZ Deployment
- Read Replicas
- Encryption
- Performance Insights
- Automatic Scaling
- MySQL
Only in Breathe HR
- Employee Database
- Absence Management
- Document Storage
- HR Reporting
- Performance Management
- Training
- Slack
- Google Workspace
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Amazon RDS
- Transaction processingnot Breathe HR
- Data storagenot Breathe HR
- Application backendnot Breathe HR
- Reportingnot Breathe HR
- Data analyticsnot Breathe HR
Breathe HR
- Holiday, absence and sickness tracking for a UK small businessnot Amazon RDS
- Storing HR documents, contracts and e-signaturesnot Amazon RDS
- Performance reviews and onboarding workflows for small teamsnot Amazon RDS
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Amazon RDS
- No super-user access or direct host connectivity limits advanced customization
- Pricing unpredictable and expensive compared to GCP alternatives with equivalent features
- Limited access to system procedures and tables requiring advanced permissions
- No Oracle RAC (Real Application Clusters) support for high-availability Oracle deployments
Breathe HR
- Pricing is banded by headcount, starting at £24 per month for 1 to 10 people, £44 per month for 11 to 20 and £99 per month for 21 to 50
- Plans are capped by band up to 151 to 200 people, so it is not sold to organisations above that range on the published ladder
- The free trial is 14 days
- Health and safety, e-learning and other modules are sold as add-ons on top of the core HR plan
- Pricing is quoted in pounds and the product is marketed to UK SMEs
Pricing, plan by plan
Amazon RDS
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Amazon RDS review.
Breathe HR
£13/month- Core$13/month
- Employee Database
- Absence Management
- Documents
- People Management$18/month
- All Core features
- Performance
- Goals
Which should you pick?
Choose Amazon RDS if
- You need multiple db engines.
- You work on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region.
- You also want automated backups.
Choose Breathe HR if
- You need employee database.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want absence management.
Questions people ask
- Is Amazon RDS or Breathe HR better?
- Neither clearly leads. Amazon RDS starts at On request and Breathe HR at £13/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Amazon RDS or Breathe HR?
- Amazon RDS starts at On request and Breathe HR at £13/month.
- Does Amazon RDS or Breathe HR run on more platforms?
- Amazon RDS runs on AWS Cloud, Multi-AZ, Multi-region. Breathe HR runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- What is Amazon RDS best used for?
- Amazon RDS is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Breathe HR is typically brought in for.
- What can Amazon RDS do that Breathe HR cannot?
- Amazon RDS covers Multiple DB Engines, Automated Backups, Multi-AZ Deployment, Read Replicas. Breathe HR covers Employee Database, Absence Management, Document Storage, HR Reporting. Both handle Web support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Amazon RDS: What databases does Amazon RDS support?
Amazon RDS supports Amazon Aurora, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle Database, and Microsoft SQL Server as managed database engines.
SourceAmazon RDS: Does Amazon RDS handle backups automatically?
Yes. Amazon RDS automates backup configuration, backing up your database and transaction logs. Blue/Green Deployments allow safer updates by mirroring production in staging before applying changes.
SourceAmazon RDS: How does Amazon RDS Proxy improve performance?
Amazon RDS Proxy is a managed database proxy that makes applications more scalable by reducing database connection overhead, more resilient to database failures, and more secure through built-in authentication.
SourceAmazon RDS: Does Amazon RDS provide read replicas?
Yes. Amazon RDS supports read replicas across availability zones and regions, enabling horizontal scaling of read capacity while maintaining a single write primary.
SourceAmazon RDS: Can I access the host directly via SSH or Remote Desktop?
No. Amazon RDS does not allow direct host access via SSH, Telnet, or Windows Remote Desktop Connection. Database access is limited to database clients and management console.
SourceRelated pages
Keep looking
Other head to heads
- Amazon RDS vs Cockroach Labs
- Amazon RDS vs PostgreSQL
- Amazon RDS vs Airtable
- Amazon RDS vs Amazon Aurora
- Amazon RDS vs Elasticsearch
- Amazon RDS vs PlanetScale
- Amazon RDS vs Azure SQL
- Amazon RDS vs ClickHouse
- Amazon RDS vs Couchbase
- Amazon RDS vs DuckDB
- Amazon RDS vs DynamoDB
- Amazon RDS vs MariaDB
- Amazon RDS vs Oracle Database
- Amazon RDS vs Amazon Redshift
- Amazon RDS vs Apache Druid
- Amazon RDS vs Cassandra
- Amazon RDS vs CouchDB
- Amazon RDS vs Firebolt
- Amazon RDS vs BambooHR
- Amazon RDS vs Workday
- Amazon RDS vs Culture Amp
- Amazon RDS vs Freshteam
- Amazon RDS vs TINYpulse
- Amazon RDS vs Zoho People
- Amazon RDS vs 15Five
- Amazon RDS vs Bonusly
- Amazon RDS vs CharlieHR
- Amazon RDS vs Kudos
- Amazon RDS vs Lattice
- Amazon RDS vs Personio
- Amazon RDS vs Achievers
- Amazon RDS vs Darwinbox
- Amazon RDS vs Employment Hero
- Amazon RDS vs greytHR
- Amazon RDS vs HiBob
- Amazon RDS vs Homebase
- Breathe HR vs Cockroach Labs
- Breathe HR vs PostgreSQL
- Breathe HR vs Airtable
- Breathe HR vs Amazon Aurora
- Breathe HR vs Elasticsearch
- Breathe HR vs PlanetScale
- Breathe HR vs Azure SQL
- Breathe HR vs ClickHouse
- Breathe HR vs Couchbase
- Breathe HR vs DuckDB
- Breathe HR vs DynamoDB
- Breathe HR vs MariaDB
- Breathe HR vs Oracle Database
- Breathe HR vs Amazon Redshift
- Breathe HR vs Apache Druid
- Breathe HR vs Cassandra
- Breathe HR vs CouchDB
- Breathe HR vs Firebolt
- Breathe HR vs BambooHR
- Breathe HR vs Workday
- Breathe HR vs Culture Amp
- Breathe HR vs Freshteam
- Breathe HR vs TINYpulse
- Breathe HR vs Zoho People
- Breathe HR vs 15Five
- Breathe HR vs Bonusly
- Breathe HR vs CharlieHR
- Breathe HR vs Kudos
- Breathe HR vs Lattice
- Breathe HR vs Personio
- Breathe HR vs Achievers
- Breathe HR vs Darwinbox
- Breathe HR vs Employment Hero
- Breathe HR vs greytHR
- Breathe HR vs HiBob
- Breathe HR vs Homebase

